# City of Boroondara

The City of Boroondara (/bɒrənˈdɑːrə/) is a local government area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It was formed in June 1994 from the amalgamation of the Cities of Kew, Camberwell and Hawthorn.
It has an area of 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi). In June 2018 the city had a population of 181,289.
City of Boroondara participates in the Victorian Government's state-wide, Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey. This is conducted annually by an independent research company, JWS Research. In 2022 City of Boroondara achieved an index score of 71 on ‘Overall Performance’. This is significantly higher than the average ratings for metropolitan councils (index score of 65) and the state-wide average (index score of 59) and places Boroondara in the top-performing councils metro and state-wide.

## History

This area was originally occupied by the Wurundjeri Indigenous Australians of the Kulin nation.
In 1837, John Gardiner (after whom Gardiners Creek was named) and his family were the first Europeans to settle in the area. Robert Hoddle surveyed the area in 1837 and declared it the "Parish of Boroondara". The area was densely wooded, so he took a word from the Woiwurrung language (as spoken by the Wurundjeri), meaning "where the ground is thickly shaded".
The first Local Government body was the Boroondara District Road Board, formed on 11 July 1854 and incorporating the areas which were to become the City of Hawthorn, City of Kew and City of Camberwell. Hawthorn and Kew were created as separate municipalities in 1860 and the remaining area of the Road Board became Shire of Boroondara on 17 November 1871, which later became the City of Camberwell.
In the 1990s, the City of Hawthorn, the City of Kew and the western part of the City of Camberwell were originally planned to be amalgamated to form the "City of Riversdale". The three municipalities, including the whole of the City of Camberwell, were eventually amalgamated in June 1994 to create the City of Boroondara. Existing councillors from the three municipalities were replaced initially by three commissioners - David Glanville (chair), David Thomas and Marion Macleod. The commissioners were in turn replaced by ten councillors following elections in 1996.

## Council

Boroondara City Council is the third tier of government and deals with services such as waste and recycling collection, leisure centres, building and planning permits and approvals, roads, drainage, health services, youth services, children's services, food safety, parks and gardens, library services, pets, street parking permits and the collection of rates and charges.

### Current composition and election method

Boroondara City Council is composed of eleven councillors, each representing one of eleven wards. On Thursday 9 July 2020, the Minister for Local Government formally announced a change to Boroondara's electoral structure. This change follows a review by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC), which was completed in June 2019. This change included an increase in ward and councillor numbers from 10 to 11. The new 11th ward is named Riversdale Ward, and is located to the south-west where it shares a boundary with Glenferrie, Junction and Gardiner Wards. This addition resulted in a number of boundary changes across the municipality.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to disrupt the local elections, with some arguing that the inability to campaign in-person would benefit incumbents with name-recognition, or resource rich candidates who could invest in letter box campaigns with leaflets. A decision was made, on public health grounds, that it was safe to proceed with the elections and voters were only able to return their ballots via postal voting.
All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office, with the most recent election being held in October 2024. Councillors were sworn in at a Special Meeting of Council on Monday 11 November 2024. The Mayor was decided in a council meeting on the 18th of November.
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Independent | 8 |
| | Ind. Liberal | 1 |
| | Greens | 2 |
| Total | Total | 11 |
| Ward | Party | Name | Elected | Notes |
| Bellevue | Independent | Michael Nolan | 2024 | |
| Cotham | Liberal | Felicity Sinfield | 2012 | |
| Gardiner | Independent | Victor Franco | 2020 | Deputy Mayor |
| Glenferrie | Greens | Wes Gault | 2020 | |
| Junction | Independent | Mal Osborne-Smith | 2024 | |
| Lynden | Independent | Lisa Hollingsworth | 2016 | |
| Maling | Independent | Shima Ibuki | 2024 | |
| Maranoa | Independent | Chris Pattas | 1996-2004, 2024 | |
| Riversdale | Independent | Rob Baillieu | 2024 | |
| Solway | Greens | John Friend-Pereira | 2024 | |
| Studley | Independent | Sophie Torney | 2024 | Mayor |

### Mayors
## Past councillors
### 1996−present

| Year | Bellevue | Bellevue | Cotham | Cotham | Gardiner | Gardiner | Glenferrie | Glenferrie | Junction | Junction | Lynden | Lynden | Maling | Maling | Maranoa | Maranoa | Riversdale | Riversdale | Solway | Solway | Studley | Studley |
| Year | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor |
| 1996 | | Eric Risstrom (Ind.) | | Geoff Hayes (Liberal) | | Will Charlton (Ind.) | | Nigel Kirby (Ind.) | | Lilian Weinberg (Ind.) | | Ian Wallace (Ind.) | | Loreto Davey (Ind.) | | Chris Pattas (Ind.) | 10 wards (1996−2020) | | Keith Walter (Ind.) | | Paula Davey (Liberal) |
| 1999 | | Eric Risstrom (Ind.) | | Geoff Hayes (Liberal) | | Will Charlton (Ind.) | | Meredith Butler (Liberal) | | Martina Hayes (Ind.) | | Ian Wallace (Ind.) | | Loreto Davey (Ind.) | | Chris Pattas (Ind.) | 10 wards (1996−2020) | | Keith Walter (Ind.) | | Judith Voce (Ind.) |
| 2002 | | Eric Risstrom (Ind.) | | Geoff Hayes (Liberal) | | Coral Ross (Ind.) | | Meredith Butler (Liberal) | | Jack Wegman (Ind.) | | Heinz Kreutz (Ind.) | | Dennis Whelan (Ind.) | | Chris Pattas (Ind.) | 10 wards (1996−2020) | | Keith Walter (Ind.) | | Judith Voce (Ind.) |
| 2003 | | Gina Goldsmith (Ind.) | | Geoff Hayes (Liberal) | | Coral Ross (Ind.) | | Meredith Butler (Liberal) | | Jack Wegman (Ind.) | | Heinz Kreutz (Ind.) | | Dennis Whelan (Ind.) | | Chris Pattas (Ind.) | 10 wards (1996−2020) | | Keith Walter (Ind.) | | Judith Voce (Ind.) |
| 2004 | | Gina Goldsmith (Liberal) | | Lachlan Williams (Liberal) | | Coral Ross (Ind.) | | Meredith Butler (Liberal) | | Jack Wegman (Ind.) | | Heinz Kreutz (Ind.) | | Dick Menting (Ind.) | | Nicholas Tragas (Liberal) | 10 wards (1996−2020) | | Mary Halikias-Byrnes (Labor) | | Phillip Healey (Liberal) |
| 2007 | | Gina Goldsmith (Liberal) | | Phil Meggs (Ind.) | | Coral Ross (Ind.) | | Meredith Butler (Liberal) | | Jack Wegman (Ind.) | | Heinz Kreutz (Ind.) | | Dick Menting (Ind.) | | Nicholas Tragas (Liberal) | 10 wards (1996−2020) | | Mary Halikias-Byrnes (Labor) | | Phillip Healey (Liberal) |
| 2008 | | Brad Miles (Ind.) | | David Bloom (Liberal) | | Coral Ross (Ind.) | | Phil Meggs (Ind.) | | Jack Wegman (Ind.) | | Heinz Kreutz (Ind.) | | Dick Menting (Ind.) | | Nicholas Tragas (Liberal) | 10 wards (1996−2020) | | Kevin Chow (Labor) | | Phillip Healey (Liberal) |
| 2012 | | Jim Parke (Ind.) | | Felicity Sinfield (Liberal) | | Coral Ross (Ind.) | | Steve Hurd (Ind. Labor) | | Jack Wegman (Ind.) | | Heinz Kreutz (Ind.) | | Jane Addis (Ind.) | | Philip Mallis (Ind.) | 10 wards (1996−2020) | | Kevin Chow (Labor) | | Phillip Healey (Liberal) |
| 2016 | | Jim Parke (Ind.) | | Felicity Sinfield (Liberal) | | Coral Ross (Ind.) | | Steve Hurd (Ind. Labor) | | Jack Wegman (Ind.) | | Lisa Hollingsworth (Liberal/Ind.) | | Jane Addis (Ind.) | | Cynthia Watson (Liberal) | 10 wards (1996−2020) | | Garry Thompson (Liberal/Ind.) | | Phillip Healey (Liberal) |
| 2020 | | Jim Parke (Ind.) | | Felicity Sinfield (Liberal) | | Victor Franco (Ind.) | | Wes Gault (Greens) | | Di Gillies (Ind.) | | Lisa Hollingsworth (Liberal/Ind.) | | Jane Addis (Ind.) | | Cynthia Watson (Liberal) | | | Garry Thompson (Liberal/Ind.) | Susan Biggar (Ind.) | | Nick Stavrou (Liberal) |
| 2021 | | Jim Parke (Ind.) | | Felicity Sinfield (Liberal) | | Victor Franco (Ind.) | | Wes Gault (Greens) | | Di Gillies (Ind.) | | Lisa Hollingsworth (Liberal/Ind.) | | Jane Addis (Ind.) | | Cynthia Watson (Liberal) | | | Garry Thompson (Liberal/Ind.) | Susan Biggar (Ind.) | | Nick Stavrou (Liberal) |
| 2024 | | Michael Nolan (Ind.) | | Felicity Sinfield (Liberal) | | Victor Franco (Ind.) | | Wes Gault (Greens) | | Mal Osborne-Smith (Ind.) | | Lisa Hollingsworth (Liberal/Ind.) | | Shima Ibuki (Ind.) | | Chris Pattas (Ind.) | | Rob Baillieu (Ind.) | | John Friend-Pereira (Greens) | | Sophie Torney (Ind.) |

## Election results
### 2024

2024 Victorian local elections: Boroondara :
| Party | Party | Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change |
| | Independents | Independents | 55,852 | 57.70 | +0.34 | 8 | 3 |
| | Independent Liberal | Independent Liberal | 27,946 | 28.87 | –3.73 | 1 | 4 |
| | Greens | Greens | 8,155 | 8.42 | +2.99 | 2 | 1 |
| | Independent Labor | Independent Labor | 3,323 | 3.43 | +1.75 | 0 | |
| | Victorian Socialists | Victorian Socialists | 1,523 | 1.57 | +1.57 | 0 | |
| Formal votes | Formal votes | Formal votes | 96,799 | 98.01 | +0.16 | | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,962 | 1.99 | –0.16 | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 98,761 | 100.00 | | 11 | |
| Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | 117,377 | 84.14 | | | |

### 2020

2020 Victorian local elections: Boroondara :
| Party | Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Change |
| | Independent | Independent | 60,052 | 57.36 | 5 | |
| | Burwood Liberals | Burwood Liberals | 31,700 | 30.28 | 5 | |
| | Greens | Greens | 5,999 | 5.43 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent Liberal | Independent Liberal | 2,745 | 2.32 | 0 | |
| | Animal Justice | Animal Justice | 2,122 | 2.03 | 0 | |
| | Independent Labor | Independent Labor | 1,929 | 1.68 | 0 | 1 |
| | Independent Greens | Independent Greens | 990 | 0.90 | 0 | |
| Formal votes | Formal votes | Formal votes | 104,695 | 97.85 | | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 2,295 | 2.15 | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 106,990 | 100.00 | 11 | 1 |

## Townships and localities

The 2021 census, the city had a population of 167,900 up from 167,231 in the 2016 census
Population :
| Locality | 2016 | 2021 |
| Ashburton | 7,751 | 7,952 |
| Balwyn | 13,312 | 13,495 |
| Balwyn North^ | 20,406 | 21,302 |
| Camberwell | 22,081 | 21,965 |
| Canterbury | 8,056 | 7,800 |
| Deepdene | 2,035 | 2,101 |
| Glen Iris^ | 25,268 | 26,131 |
| Hawthorn | 23,511 | 22,322 |
| Hawthorn East | 14,321 | 14,834 |
| Kew | 24,605 | 24,499 |
| Kew East | 6,635 | 6,620 |
| Mont Albert^ | 4,840 | 4,948 |
| Surrey Hills^ | 13,605 | 13,655 |
^ - Territory divided with another LGA

## Infrastructure

The council is responsible for the management of stormwater collection and removal. The water supply authority is Yarra Valley Water.

## Libraries

The City of Boroondara has five libraries at Camberwell, Ashburton, Balwyn, Kew and Hawthorn, and in 2018 opened a 'library lounge' at the Greythorn Community Hub in Balwyn North.

## Local area
### Schools

Boroondara has one of the highest concentrations of students in Australia and contains many private schools, including Xavier College, Methodist Ladies' College (MLC), Strathcona Baptist Girls' Grammar School, Camberwell Grammar School, Trinity Grammar School, Ruyton Girls' School, Rossbourne School, Carey Baptist Grammar School, Scotch College, Fintona Girls' School, Genazzano FCJ College, Preshil, and Alia College. It contains Catholic schools such as St Michael's Parish School (Ashburton) Our Lady of Good Counsel (Deepdene) and St Bede's School (Balwyn North) and a number of public schools, including Canterbury Girls' Secondary College, Balwyn High School, Kew High School, Auburn High School and Camberwell High School.

## Heritage controversy

In 2023, Boroondara implemented a "community heritage nomination process", allowing residents to lodge nominations for properties to be heritage listed, limiting the ability for the owners of those properties to renovate or demolish their property. The community nominated eight properties to heritage list, seven of which were listed without the consent of the owner. This was a highly controversial change, and some residents were concerned that the process would be weaponised by community members to heritage list properties owned by people in ethnic minorities. The council rejected a proposal to pause the process until the next council election.